VOA慢速英语--印尼指责波音飞机问题造成狮航空难

Indonesia Blames Boeing Design, Other Problems for Deadly Lion Air Crash

Indonesian investigators² say a combination of design problems and other issues were to blame for a Boeing 737 Max 8 jet crashing shortly after it left Jakarta last year. The investigation³ found that a lack of pilot training and poor flight crew performance also were partly responsible for the crash.

All 189 people on the plane were killed.

A summary version of the final report said the pilots did not know how to react to problems in the plane’s automated⁵ flight-control system.

The Indonesian government has yet to release the full report.

The investigators identified nine problems that they believe were responsible for the deadly crash.

Chief investigator¹ Nurcahyo Utomo told reporters that, “If one of the nine had not occurred, maybe the accident wouldn’t have happened.”

The airplane belonged to the Indonesian company Lion Air, a low cost carrier. On October 29, 2018, the Boeing 737 Max 8 disappeared from radar⁶ after the pilots told air traffic controllers that the plane was not gaining altitude and speed as it should.

Five months later, a similar situation happened on the same kind of Boeing jet in Ethiopia. That plane also crashed, killing⁷ 157 people.

After the Ethiopian crash, Boeing was put under intense pressure to explain what had happened. Many countries barred the 737 Max 8 from their airspace.

A short time later, all Max 8 jets were banned from flying and they have yet to return to service. The problems with the jets have brought attention to the safety certification process in the United States.

What happened on the Lion Air flight?

Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee said the flight control system, known as the MCAS, on the Max 8 was poorly designed. It noted⁸ that the MCAS system depends on a single “angle of attack” sensor⁹. This instrument recognizes if the plane is pointing up or down. The committee considered this a design mistake.

The head of the committee said in a statement that “The aircraft flight manual and flight crew training did not include information about MCAS.”

The summary version also pointed¹⁰ to other problems that led to the crash.

The airplane that crashed had only been in use for two months, but days before the crash it began having problems. Workers installed a new “angle of attack” sensor in the plane while it was in Bali one day before the crash. However, the instrument had been mis-calibrated during an earlier repair. Investigators said they were unable to find out if the new sensor had been tested.

Then, soon after the Max 8 left Bali on a flight to Jakarta, the plane’s instruments warned of problems related to airspeed and altitude. The captain and the co-pilot regained¹¹ control of the plane by turning off the automated control system. They then continued on to Jakarta, but did not fully¹² report the problems, the summary said. So Lion Air maintenance crews did not investigate.

Aviation expert Gerry Soejatman said that the flight from Bali to Jakarta was lucky. He said most of the blame should be placed on Boeing, the plane’s manufacturer.

The American company released a statement Friday. Boeing said it was working to consider all the safety recommendations to prevent a similar problem. The company said it has redesigned the flight control system to operate using two sensors¹³.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) welcomed the recommendations from the investigation.

I’m Mario Ritter Jr.

Words in This Story

summary – n. a shorter version of a document that gives the most important information

automate⁴ – adj. self-operating or robotic

occur – v. to happen

altitude – n. the height of something above the level of the sea

certification – n. documentation; a written guarantee

manual – n. a document or booklet that tells how to use something

install – v. to make something ready for use by putting everything in place and making changes

mis-calibrate – v. to make a bad or wrong measurement

aviation – n. related to or involving the operation of airplanes

recommendation – n. suggestion; proposal

1 investigator   

n.研究者，调查者，审查者

参考例句：

• He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
• The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

2 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 automate   

v.自动化；使自动化

参考例句：

• Many banks have begun to automate.许多银行已开始采用自动化技术。
• To automate the control process of the lathes has become very easy today.使机床的控制过程自动化现已变得很容易了。

5 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

6 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

10 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

11 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

12 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

13 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句